UK retail sales slide in September

According to the latest data, retail sales fell by 0.8 per cent in September after a slide in demand at food stores.

ONS head of retail sales Rhian Murphy added: “Retail continued to grow in the three months to September with jewellery shops and online stores seeing particularly strong sales. This was despite a stark slowdown in food sales in September, following a bumper summer.”

A VoucherCodes.co.uk spokesperson further commented: “Retailers enjoyed a glorious summer as consumers flocked to the high street to prepare for BBQs, parties and to ensure they were fully stocked for the World Cup – after this, a September slowdown in food sales was expected but it has been more severe than anticipated.

“Despite a small drop in online sales from August, online continues to outperform the high street. With changing consumer habits continuing to drive footfall away from physical stores, it’s vital that supermarkets and retailers cater to this shift by providing a coherent ecommerce offering, a user-friendly customer experience and, most importantly, great value.

“Without substantial investment in the latest technologies such as geo-fencing and AI, high street businesses will struggle to compete in the current retail landscape. Our latest report reveals this is a fact not lost on UK retailers – 43% have made investments in geo-fencing over the past 12 months and 47% are prioritizing investment in tech over the next year.”